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IntroductionChronic venous ulcers of the lower limbs develop in the context of advanced venous disease and have a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life, being associated with depression and worrisome suicide rates, as well as with an economic burden caused by increased medical care costs and high epidemiological risks of healthcare associated infections and emergence of strains resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics and/ or antiseptics. Although numerous studies have investigated the composition of the chronic wounds microbiome, either by culture-dependent or independent methods, there are no data on the association between virulence and resistance profiles of strains isolated from venous ulcers and the clinical picture of this pathology. The elucidation of pathogenic mechanisms, at both phenotypic and molecular level, is crucial in the fight against these important human microbial agents, in order to develop novel biomarkers and discover new therapeutic targets.MethodsIn this study we aimed to characterize the phenotypic virulence profiles (including the ability to develop biofilms) of microorganisms isolated from chronic skin wounds and to correlate them with the clinical symptomatology. Considering the high incidence of Staphylococcus aureus infections in chronic ulcers, but also the ability of this species to develop multi-drug resistance, we performed an more in-depth study of the phenotypic and genotypic virulence profiles of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus.ResultsThe study revealed important differences regarding the clinical evolution and virulence profiles of microorganisms isolated from lower limb wounds, as well as between patients diagnosed with chronic venous ulcers and those with lesions of different etiology.

Introduction: Biodeterioration is a big challenge for the preservation of cultural heritage objects and for the community’s safety, fostering the search for novel methods effective in removing microbial biofilms and subsequent biodeterioration. In this context, nanoparticles (NPs) are considered an interesting alternative, based on their unique physico-chemical and biological properties.Methods: The present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of Ag, Au, Cu, and ZnO NPs against a significant number of filamentous fungi and bacterial strains isolated from wooden and stone cultural heritage objects from different Romanian regions, as well as from museum collections, with the final goal to establish their potential to develop novel preservation strategies, which have high efficiency and low ecotoxicity.Results: Six types of nanoparticles (NPs) based on Ag, Au, Cu, and ZnO were synthesized and characterized for their physico-chemical properties, ecotoxicity, and efficacy against 75 filamentous fungi and 17 bacterial strains isolated from wooden and stone cultural heritage objects (15th–19th century). The results showed that all synthetized NPs are homogeneous, demonstrating a good stabilizing coating, and have spherical or triangular shapes, with sizes between 9 and 25 nm. The highest antifungal efficiency has been recorded for Ag NPs, followed by Cu NPs and ZnO NPs, with the most susceptible strains being Aspergillus montevidensis, Penicillium commune, Penicillium corylophilum, Bacillus megaterium, and B. cereus. The Cu NPs and ZnO NPs decreased the capacity of microbial strains to adhere to the inert substratum. The influence of the tested NPs against enzyme/organic acid production varied depending on the NP types and by species.Conclusion: The obtained results are promising for the development of efficient and economical alternative solutions for heritage preservation, showing high antimicrobial activity against the prevalent fungal and bacterial strains involved in the biodeterioration of Romanian heritage objects.

Antibiotics are an essential tool of modern medicine, contributing to significantly decreasing mortality and morbidity rates from infectious diseases. However, persistent misuse of these drugs has accelerated the evolution of antibiotic resistance, negatively impacting clinical practice. The environment contributes to both the evolution and transmission of resistance. From all anthropically polluted aquatic environments, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are probably the main reservoirs of resistant pathogens. They should be regarded as critical control points for preventing or reducing the release of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) into the natural environment. This review focuses on the fate of the pathogens Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae spp. (ESCAPE) in WWTPs. All ESCAPE pathogen species, including high-risk clones and resistance determinants to last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems, colistin, and multi-drug resistance platforms, were detected in wastewater. The whole genome sequencing studies demonstrate the clonal relationships and dissemination of Gram-negative ESCAPE species into the wastewater via hospital effluents and the enrichment of virulence and resistance determinants of S. aureus and enterococci in WWTPs. Therefore, the efficiency of different wastewater treatment processes regarding the removal of clinically relevant ARB species and ARGs, as well as the influence of water quality factors on their performance, should be explored and monitored, along with the development of more effective treatments and appropriate indicators (ESCAPE bacteria and/or ARGs). This knowledge will allow the development of quality standards for point sources and effluents to consolidate the WWTP barrier role against the environmental and public health AR threats.